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That’s what Vanessa Avalos and the 16 Miss Ohio Latina contestants felt dressed in the flowing,
ruffled and colorful traditional Latin American clothing of their roots.

“We’re all Latinos. We’re all a mix of everything,” said 20-year-old Nancy Ruiz, Miss Columbus
Latina, who is Mexican but donned a traditional Cuban dress for the Latin fashion show at Columbus’
Festival Latino yesterday. “We all have differences, but we’re not based on one race. We’re all
unique.”

Latin American pride was abundant on the streets lining Bicentennial Park this weekend for the
19th annual Festival Latino, which ended yesterday. The festival moved from its original location
at Genoa Park because of city construction.

“I’ve never seen this big of a crowd here,” said Janet Rife, volunteer coordinator for the
Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, which began financing the event in 2009. “It’s bigger
than last year. I don’t think the move has had an effect. People come with their families and spend
the whole day.”

Vendors, artists, musicians and dancers shared their countries cultures through music, food,
wares and dance with crowds of Spanish and English speakers expected to exceed 75,000.

Diana Fisco, a self-proclaimed “artist on wheels” from Indianapolis, showcased her chunky beaded
necklaces, an indigenous art form she learned while attending college in Colombia.

“I became an indigenous artist without realizing it,” she said. “I watched these street artists
do these designs for a few days. They said, ‘If you buy your own material, you can watch us and we’l
l teach you.’ ”

The store’s owner, Leticia Vazquez-Smith, also cooked up her homemade tamales and cactus salad
next to rice, beans and seasoned meats of Puerto Rican cuisine. Attendees also feasted on tacos,
South American arepas, empanadas and Brazilian croquettes called
coxinha from Espetos, a vendor from Westerville.

“It’s really a blend of all cultures together,” Vazquez-Smith said. “We have a lot of diversity
in Columbus, and it’s grown over the last 10 years. It’s great for us to come together as a
community and expose people who don’t know to celebrate with us. It’s like a little trip for
them."

Latino rhythms hung in the air between performances at the park’s main stage. The merengue
orchestra of Los Hermanos Rosario headlined yesterday’s performances.

Gloria Chavez, dressed head-to-toe representing her native country of El Salvador, enjoyed the
Toledo dance group El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico as it performed the traditional
eljarabe tapatio, or Mexican hat dance. Chavez, a Dayton resident, comes to Festival Latino
every year and likes the changes she sees.

“It’s growing little by little each year,” she said. “More and more cultures are being
represented and shared with the community.”